1. Garfi eld 2. Amazon and Nile 3. Death Valley 4. Cornfl akes 5. Nitrous oxide 6. Middlesex 7. Rum 8. Gladiolus 9. Java 10. Shredded wheat 11. Mackinac Island 12. China 13. James Baldwin 14. Los Angeles 15. Taco Bell 16. Africa (in Egypt) 17. Technically, a seagull does not exist; seagull is a colloquial word for the many different species of gull. 18. 10 19. Brazil 20. “Holiday Inn” Page 20 THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, JULY 29, 2022 Savvy Seniory Senior BY JIM MILLER How to Sell Unwanted Burial Plots Dear Savvy Senior, How do I go about selling unwanted burial plots in my hometown cemetery? When my parents died about 25 years ago my husband (at the time) and I bought two plots near them in the same cemetery. But we’ve gotten divorced since then and have both moved out of state. Besides that, I would like to be cremated instead of buried. Looking to Sell Dear Looking, Life changes such as relocating, family disputes and divorce, along with the growing popularity of cremation in the U.S., is causing more and more people to sell previously purchased burial plots they don’t intend to use any longer. But, depending on where you live and the location of the cemetery, selling a plot can be diffi cult. And, if you do sell it, you’ll probably get less than what you initially paid for it. Here’s are a few tips to get you started. Contact the cemetery: Your fi rst step in selling your unwanted burial plots is to contact the cemetery and fi nd out if they would be interested in buying them back, or if you’re allowed to sell them yourself to another person or family. And if so, what paperwork will you need to complete the sale and is there a transfer fee? Some states require sellers to off er the plot back to the cemetery before selling it to others. Selling options: If you fi nd that it’s OK to sell your plots yourself, many people choose to use a broker. There are a number of companies, like PlotBrokers.com and GraveSolutions.com, that will list your plots for sale and handle the transaction for a fee and possibly a commission. If you go this route, you’ll sign paperwork giving the broker permission to work on your behalf. Listings can last up to three years or until the plots sell. Alternatively, or simultaneously, you can also list them yourself on sites like The Cemetery Exchange, GraveSales.com along with eBay and Craigslist, and handle the transaction yourself. In the ad, be sure to post pictures, describe the area where the cemetery is located and give the plot locations. What to ask: Appropriate pricing is key to selling your plots. It’s recommended that you fi nd out what the cemetery is selling their plots for today and ask at least 20 percent less. If you’re pricing too close to what the cemetery charges, there’s no incentive for potential buyers. Beware of scammers: If you choose to sell your plots yourself, it’s not unusual for scam artist to reach out and try to get your personal fi - nancial information. Phone calls tend to be more genuine than emails and text messages. Donate them: If you don’t have any luck selling your plots, and if money isn’t an issue, you can donate them to charity such as a religious congregation, a local veteran’s group or an organization that aids the homeless. To get a tax deduction, you’ll need an appraisal, which a cemetery or broker may supply for a fee. Send your senior questions to: Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit SavvySenior.org. Jim Miller is a contributor to the NBCToday show and author of “The Savvy Senior”book. HOUSE AMENDMENT #807 T here is amendment #807 to the Massachusetts House of Representatives Bill # 5007 that is intended to limit MassHealth estate recovery to only the federally required amounts and authorizes MassHealth to seek a waiver of estate recovery for a work incentive program for people with disabilities. Medicaid in the only public benefi t program that requires properly paid benefi ts to be recovered from a deceased MassHealth recipient’s probate estate. MassHealth has an Estate Recovery Unit. Estate recovery for nursing home benefi ts is federally mandated. Massachusetts has adopted a statute requiring estate recovery for the costs of all medical services provided after a MassHealth recipient reaches the age of 55, even if at home and not in a nursing home. Most MassHealth recipients have income well below 100% of the federal poverty level ($13,596 in 2022) and those 65 and over must have countable assets of $2,000 or less. One can still qualify for MassHealth even though he or she owns a home. 90% of estate recovery collection is from the later sale of the home after the MassHealth recipient dies and the home was included in the probate estate. The amendment seeks to benefi t low income MassHealth recipients owning a home by not allowing the Estate Recovery Unit to place a lien on the home in order to seek recovery for MassHealth benefi ts paid after the MassHealth recipient dies. This not does not apply to nursing home benefi ts paid but would apply to any MassHealth recipient liv9. What computer programming language is also the name of an island? 1. July 29 is National Lasagna Day; what comic strip cat’s favorite food is lasagna? 2. What are the two longest rivers in the world? 3. In what national park in California and Nevada would you fi nd Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes and white sand? 4. On July 30, 1898, what cereal was invented by William Kellogg? 5. What is the chemical name for “laughing gas”? 6. What is the most populous county in Massachusetts? 7. July 31, 1970, is Black Tot Day, which was the last day when Royal Navy sailors in Britain were issued what alcoholic ration? 8. What August birth flower is sometimes called “sword lily”? 10. On August 1, 1893, Henry Perky invented what edible shredded product? 11. The name of what island in the Great Lakes is derived from an Indian word for big turtle? 12. In what country was paper made: China, Egypt or France? 13. On August 2, 1924, what author of “Go Tell It on the Mountain” was born? 14. What city has the La Brea Tar Pits? ing at home and receiving benefi ts upon reaching the age of 55. This amendment seeks to have MassHealth only seek recovery for federally mandated medical assistance (e.g. nursing home level care). Many people receiving MassHealth while age 55 or older and still living in the community are not aware that he or she can transfer their home to a Trust in order to avoid probate. Once the home is in a Trust, under current MassHealth regulations, the Estate Recovery Unit cannot recover from the sale of the home. If the amendment were to pass, even if the home were not placed into a Trust, a MassHealth recipient who dies with the home included in his or her probate estate would not have to worry about not being able to pass all of the equity in the home to loved ones as a result of a potentially signifi cant MassHealth lien. This amendment and corresponding House Bill 5007 is currently working its way through the legislative process at this time. 15. What fast food chain has had the slogans “Think outside the bun” and “The cure for the common meal”? 16. August 3 is National Watermelon Day; the first reported watermelon harvest was on what continent? 17. What is the diff erence between a seagull and a gull? 18. A squid has how many arms? 19. What country currently uses currency named real: Brazil, Portugal or Spain? 20. On August 4, 1942, what movie with Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire that was the namesake of a hotel chain was released? ANSWERS
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